


Skeletons in the closet

by Kit_Kat_Kurt



Category: Glee
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-21
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2018-11-17 02:09:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11265765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kit_Kat_Kurt/pseuds/Kit_Kat_Kurt
Summary: Life in Lima had always been simple and uneventful, until one scandal changed everything...





	1. Chapter one

A/N

Hi there! 

I got inspired to write this story after watching certain TV series (Riverdale, 13 reasons why, How to get away with murder, Gossip Girl). I'm really trying to make it my own story, but if you recognize something; that's why and I take no credit for that. 

This story takes place in the summer between season two and season three. A few things that might be relevant to know: Quinn never got pregnant, Kurt didn't transfer to Dalton, Sam didn't lose his house. I'm hoping everything will become clear later in the story.

Also, English isn't my first language (I'm from the Netherlands) so if you see any errors, feel free to point those out. (so I can learn from my mistakes and all that)

This is my first time posting on this site, and I hope you'll enjoy the story. Please let me know by commenting, constructive criticism is very welcome, just please don't be mean :) 

 

* * *

 

 

Growing up in Lima, Ohio had always been quite boring. It was a small town and most people living there, lived simple and uneventful lives. Excitement was nowhere to be found, it always had to be created.

When something did happen in Lima, word travelled fast. Therefor the news of the disappearance of Jesse St. James had reached the ears of all citizens not even two hours after his parents had called the police. Rachel Berry, who had been his girlfriend at the time, was the last person to see him before he went missing. That day, they had gone camping in the woods for their half-year anniversary. When Rachel woke up the next morning, Jesse had been nowhere to be found. She had called her best friend Mercedes Jones in the midst of a teary panic attack. And Mercedes, as good a friend as she was, just couldn’t keep this news to herself. After hanging up, she had immediately dialed her other best friend, Tina Cohen-Chang, who had told her boyfriend, Mike Chang, who had told one of his teammates. And when news reached the football players, it was always only a matter of seconds before the cheerleaders knew as well.

And that is how Kurt Hummel and Quinn Fabray ended up conversing about Jesse’s disappearance in Kurt’s bedroom only hours after he was last seen.

Quinn had just arrived on the airport when Kurt had called her. She had spent the summer in Europe with her parents and sister. She had had a lovely time, seeing the Eiffel tower in Paris, shopping in Milan, sunbathing on the beach in Barcelona, but she had also been excited to see her friends again. Partly to show off how tan and thin she’d gotten. Okay, _mostly_ to show off. She’d had also been dying to see the look on her best friend’s face when she showed him all the incredible designer clothes she’d bought, but then Kurt had called her with the news and suddenly all of that was forgotten.

“When did you last see him?” Quinn asked while she twirled a strand of her golden hair between her forefinger and thumb. The salt water had made her hair dry, she noticed with a frown.

“We saw him last week, while we were at the Lima Bean. He was there with Rachel,” Kurt said.

“We?” Quinn asked and she looked up to stare questionably at her friend.

“I was there with Sam.” Kurt suddenly seemed to try very hard not to meet her eyes. “Yeah, we ran into each other. Have you told him you’re back yet?” Quinn shook her head and reached for her phone to text her boyfriend.

“I was going to, but then you kinda threw this news at me.” Kurt shrugged.

“Well, finally something exciting happened. Couldn’t really keep it to myself.”

“So, someone going missing is ‘exciting’ to you?” Quinn asked.

“Oh, come on. I doubt he’s actually missing. He probably just got tired of Rachel’s nagging.” Quinn laughed.

“Oh, yes, that would be very understandable.”

“Can you imagine, though? You’re celebrating your anniversary, and the next thing you know, your significant other is just…gone, without a text, a note, or anything.”

“It does seem very shady,” Quinn agreed and unlocked her phone when she saw Sam had responded to her text.

 

**Awesome! im at finns playing ps4.**

**wanna meet up tonite? Ly**

“Well, apparently Sam’s already here,” Quinn said.

“God, don’t tell me they’re having another video game marathon,” Kurt sighed. “Those guys have spent the entire summer inside Finn’s room.” _Except for when he was getting coffee with you, apparently,_ Quinn thought, but she didn’t say it.

“Let’s go surprise them,” she said instead and got up from her spot on Kurt’s comfy sofa.

“Alright,” Kurt said and he followed her across the hall to Finn’s room.

“Did you guys hear?” was the first thing Sam asked when Quinn had opened the door. Both Finn and Sam were sitting on Finn’s bed, which was covered in empty bags of Cheetos and popcorn. Quinn raised her nose in disgust. Why did teenage boys have to be so…messy?

“Of course we heard,” Kurt said. Sam stared at him for a second before he turned his attention to Quinn.

“Hey, babe,” he said.

“Hi.” Quinn leaned in for a kiss that Sam returned. After she pulled back, she noticed Kurt had turned his head away from them when they kissed. He sat down next to his stepbrother and asked in a soft voice how Rachel was doing.

“She’s really upset,” Finn answered. “I couldn’t really make anything up besides that, she was crying so loudly. I think I’ll go over to her house tonight.” After seeing Kurt’s raised eyebrow, he sighed and said: “To _comfort_ her, as a friend, of course.”

“Of course,” Kurt said. “I wasn’t implying anything.”

“Although you should know, Finn,” Quinn said and she looked for a place on the bed that wasn’t covered in crumbs. “Hanging out with Rachel again isn’t going to do much good for your reputation.” Finn looked at his ex with an annoyed look in his eyes.

“Look, I don’t care about my reputation! I care about Rachel. She needs someone right now.”

“You may not care about your reputation,” Kurt said. “But I do. And since we’re brothers now, the people you associate with also reflect on me. Poorly, in Rachel’s case.”

“So poorly,” Quinn agreed. “And you can do better than that.” Sam sighed. Quinn turned her head towards him. “Don’t you agree?”

“Not really. Rachel’s a good person, alright.” Kurt and Quinn both snorted.

“Come on, Sam,” Quinn said. “I don’t care if she’s the nicest girl on this earth.”

“Which she is not, by the way. She’s so irritating,” Kurt said and Quinn nodded in agreement.

“She’s not suited company for Finn.”

“Oh, I have an idea!” Kurt said. “Why don’t we set him up with Brittany or Santana?” Quinn nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes! Perfect.”

“Guys, no, I don’t want to-”

“I’ll call them right now,” Kurt said and reached for his iPhone.

“Kurt, don’t call-” But Kurt had already left the room. Finn sighed and dropped his head on the bed. Quinn stopped smiling when she noticed the way Sam was staring at her.

“What?” she snapped.

“Just, why can’t you let Finn make that decision for himself?”

“Because he’s making the wrong one.”

“Whatever,” Sam sighed. “I think I’m going to go home.”

“Fine. I’ll see you tonight, then,” Quinn said coolly.

“Yeah, I’ll text you,” Sam mumbled and he left the room without even giving her a kiss goodbye. Quinn was starting to feel really irritated with her boyfriend. Why wasn’t he more excited to see her? He had been so upset when she had told him she’d be gone for the entire summer, and now she was back and he didn’t even seem to care. Surely there was a reason for his behavior, she thought. And if Sam wouldn’t tell her, there was someone else she was sure would know what was going on. The person closest to Sam, after her, of course: Blaine Anderson.

Kurt walked back into the room with his cell still in his hand and a smile on his face. “Done,” he smiled. “You have a date tonight. Breadstix, at eight.”

“With who?” Quinn asked. Finn sat up straight again and awaited his brother’s answer.

“Yeah, Santana or Brittany?” he asked when Kurt didn’t respond right away.

“Both of them.”

 

 

 


	2. Chapter two

Blaine Anderson had met Kurt Hummel at a gay bar in Westerville at a Friday night. He was there with his close friend and roommate Sebastian Smythe, who had left him alone as soon as they entered the club to go hit on some guy. Normally, Blaine would have been irritated, but then he saw Kurt walk in. It had been an instant connection. They had danced the night away and when they were too exhausted to stay upright for even one more song, they had sat down by the bar. They chatted about Broadway, fashion and singing until the club closed.

Blaine had found himself falling head over heels for the enigma that was Kurt Hummel. When Blaine asked him to go out on a date the next day, he accepted. Blaine couldn’t believe his luck. After their third date, he had asked Kurt to be his boyfriend. And, fortunately, Kurt had said yes. And that was the story about how they became a couple.

No, the way they met hadn’t been the special, romantic encounter Blaine had dreamed about when he was younger, but he didn’t need an epic love story. Not when he had Kurt, who had surpassed all his expectations. And when even Burt, Kurt’s overprotective father, liked him and started inviting him to their Friday night family dinners, Blaine was sure they were meant to be.

That Friday night, Burt was a little irritated that Finn had abandoned their dinner to go on a date with Brittany (Kurt had figured telling his dad he had set Finn up to go out on a date with two girls at the same time would only make him more annoyed), but he seemed to be glad Blaine was there.

“I’m telling you boys, it’s a messed up world we’re livin’ in,” Burt said while practically inhaling the lasagna Carole had made. “You two better not go anywhere by yourselves. In fact, you should just stay at home until they catch whoever took him, where you’re _safe_.”

“I’m not going to spend what’s left of the summer locked up in my room, dad,” Kurt said.

“And you,” Burt addressed Blaine like his son hadn’t spoken at all. “You’re not driving home by yourself tonight.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine. I won’t stop the car until I-”

“No, you’ll just stay here. Go back tomorrow when it’s light out.”

“I…”

“Just nod,” Kurt mumbled. Blaine did. Burt turned his attention back to his food.

“I really hope Jesse is okay and they find him soon,” Carole said softly.

“Yeah,” Burt agreed. “I don’t think this town will be able to recover from another teen death.” Kurt abruptly pulled his chair back and stood up.

“May I be excused? I’ve lost my appetite.”

“Honey, you’ve barely eaten a thing. Do you not like the lasagna?” Kurt smiled at his stepmother.

“Your cooking is divine, Carole. I’m just not hungry. So…” Kurt turned to his dad.

“You can go,” Burt said. Kurt left the room without saying another word. A few uncomfortable seconds of silence passed before Blaine spoke up.

“What…what was that about?”

“I’m sure Kurt’s fine, sweetie. He just-”

“That was my fault,” Burt said. “I shouldn’t have brought it up that way.”

“You said…a teenager died here?” Carole and Burt exchanged a quick look before Carole spoke up.

“Honey, you should ask Kurt about-”

“No, he shouldn’t. Kurt’s not ready to talk about it.”

“Burt-”

“Do not talk about it with Kurt, alright?” Burt said and that seemed to be the end of it. They finished their meal in silence and after Blaine’s offer to help with the dishes had been declined, he went upstairs to check on Kurt.

Kurt was talking to someone on his cellphone when Blaine entered his room.

“I have to go,” he said when he saw Blaine. “I’ll talk to you later.” He hung up and smiled at his boyfriend. “Hi.”

“Hey,” Blaine smiled back. “You alright?”

“I’m fine. I think it’s because of the heat. Always manages to decrease my appetite.”

“Right.”

“Come sit,” Kurt said and he petted next to the spot where he was sitting on the bed. Blaine sat down next to his boyfriend and wrapped an arm around him.

“I’m…actually also really upset about Jesse. I know I shouldn’t…assume anything bad has happened to him, but I’ve been having this weird feeling in my stomach all day.”

“I know,” Blaine said soothingly. He wasn’t really sure what else he should say. He couldn’t promise Kurt Jesse was safe. He wanted to comfort him, but more than that, he wanted to be honest with him. And hopefully, Kurt would be honest with him, too.

“He’s my friend, you know,” Kurt said. He was staring at his hands while speaking. “And maybe we’re not as…close as we used to be, thanks to Rachel, but we’re still friends.”

“About that,” Blaine said. Kurt finally looked him in the eye. “Why do you dislike her so much? I mean, I don’t know her that well, but she seems like a nice girl, just maybe a little-”

“Loud? Self-absorbed? Intolerable?”

“Kurt…” Blaine said softly.

“Right, sorry. I nearly forget about your incapacity to be anything but nice about absolutely everything.”

“Okay, I’m just going to ignore that, because I know you’re upset and just trying to pick a fight.”

“Case in point,” Kurt mumbled. “Sorry,” he immediately added. “It’s like a reflex.”

“I know,” Blaine said and he rubbed Kurt’s back.

“I guess I’m still not used to people being nice to me…”

“Well, just so you know, I’ll always be nice to you.”

“I know.” Kurt’s smile still seemed sad, but to Blaine it was progress nonetheless. “I love you.” No matter how often he heard those words, they still managed to make it feel like his heart was about to jump out of his chest. It made everything else seem completely irrelevant. All earlier thoughts about kidnappers and kids their age dying seemed to have evaporated from his mind. Kurt loved him. That’s all that mattered.

“And I love you,” he said before leaning in for a gentle kiss.


	3. Chapter three

Finn Hudson had no idea what he was doing there. Brittany and Santana were sitting on the booth across him, gossiping fervently. They seemed to have forgotten he was even there. Or they were just ignoring him. And every time Finn tried to get involved in their conversation, Santana would give him this _look_ and he’d quickly shut his mouth.

Anyway, it didn’t really seem like a date to him. Then again, he didn’t have a lot of experience with dating. When Quinn was his girlfriend it was like she tried to see him as little as possible.

“You know what I think,” Santana said while she grabbed another breadstick. “I think _Rachel_ killed him.” Brittany gasped. “Yeah! I mean, it makes total sense. He’s clearly more talented in every single way.”

“And he’s less annoying,” Brittany added.

“Totally. I bet he was going to break up with her. And then she just snapped and-”

“Stop it!” Finn yelled. “Rachel would never do such a thing! And Jesse is our classmate, and he’s _missing._ This is serious!”

“Okay, can it, stuffed potato,” Santana finally said to him. “You’re interrupting mine and Brit’s conversation.”

“Yeah, that’s so rude.”

“No, you are the ones that are being rude, talking about Rachel like that! And this is supposed to be a date, you should at least try to include me in your conversations.” Santana laughed. 

“Look, this isn’t a date, Frankenteen.”

“But Kurt said-”

“Yeah, Porcelain probably just wanted you out of the house so he could get it on with the hobbit.”

“That’s so disturbing,” Brittany said while shaking her head.

“No, not Rachel. The other hobbit.”

“Oh. That’s hot.” Finn flinched.

“Kurt wouldn’t do that.”

“Oh, come on. He and Blaine have been having sex for months.”

“So hot.”

“Totally,” Santana grinned. “Too bad they won’t let us watch.”

“Okay! I’m going to use the bathroom.” Finn got up and headed straight towards the exit of the restaurant.

“Bathroom’s the other way, Sasquatch!” Santana yelled after him.

He ignored her and walked to his car. He wasn’t going to let his whole evening be a waste. He started the engine and drove to Rachel’s.

“Sorry I’m late,” Finn told a disheveled looking Rachel when she opened the door. “I would’ve gotten here sooner, but Kurt-”

“It’s alright,” she said quietly. “Come on in.” He followed her to the living room. Before he’d had the chance to sit down, Rachel threw her arms around him and started sobbing loudly.

“Wow,” Finn said. He awkwardly rubbed her back, unsure of what to say. But it seemed like Rachel didn’t need him to say anything. After a few minutes her sobs had started to subside and she let go of Finn.

“Sorry about that,” she sniffed after she’d wiped her tears away.

“It’s alright. You’re upset, so…” She started sniffing louder again. “Let’s sit down, okay?” Finn said quickly. Rachel nodded and sat down on the sofa.

“I think I’m just now realizing what’s happened. Even though I’ve been talking to the police all day. It’s just…so surreal, you know?” Finn simply nodded and sat down next to her. “I never thought something like this would happen in Lima. We’re supposed to be safe here.”

“I know. It is kind of terrifying.” He swallowed nervously when he saw Rachel staring at him with big, tear-filled eyes. “But I’m sure Jesse will be fine.”

“He was kidnapped, Finn,” she said. “Someone came to our tent, in the middle of the night, and _took_ him.”

“Well, maybe they did it for the money. His family’s loaded, right?”

“Don’t you think his parents would’ve gotten a ransom note by now if that was the case?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know how these kind of things work. I mean, I’ve seen it on TV, but…”

“You’re not helping, Finn,” Rachel whispered.

“I’m trying.”

“I know, and I really appreciate it,” Rachel said and she squeezed his knee. “I really couldn’t bear to be alone anymore.”

“Your dads aren’t here?” Rachel shook her head.

“They’re on a cruise. I called them this morning, but the soonest they can be back is tomorrow afternoon.”

“You can stay at our place, if you want to,” Finn offered before he’d really thought it through.

“Really?”

“Yeah, sure. I mean, that way you don’t have to be alone for the night.”

“I’d really appreciate that. But I’m not staying in your room.”

“That’s fine. We have a guestroom.”

“Alright. I’ll go get my overnight bag,” Rachel said and she gave Finn a sad smile before heading up to her room. When she returned downstairs, her overnight bag turned out to be more of an overnight suitcase.

“You really need that much stuff for one night?” Finn asked.

“Just because I’m upset, doesn’t mean I can slack on my moisturizing routine,” Rachel responded. Finn laughed. “What’s so funny?”

“You sounded a lot like Kurt just now.”

“Let’s go to your house,” Rachel said, ignoring the comment he’d made. “It’s getting late.”

When they arrived at Finn’s house, Burt was the only person still in the living room. He was drinking a diet beer and watching television on a low volume.

“Hi,” Finn said when he entered. “I, uh, brought a friend.” Burt looked up and put his beer down. Rachel offered him a hand.

“Rachel Berry. I’m not sure Finn’s told you about me, but I’m…”

“Yeah, I know who you are,” Burt said after he’d shook Rachel’s hand. “You're Hiram and LeRoy’s girl.”

“I didn’t know you knew my fathers,” Rachel said.

“I went to high school with Hiram. We didn’t really know each other that well, though.”

“Both her dads are out of town,” Finn said. “After what happened, I think Rachel shouldn’t be alone. Can she stay here tonight?”

“Sure,” Burt said. “She can stay in the guestroom. Why don’t you sit down for a minute?” Finn looked at Rachel. When she nodded, Finn responded.

“Sure.” They both sat down on the couch.

“It’s an awful thing to happen,” Burt said. “Just know, the police are doing everything they can.” Rachel smiled sadly.

“I hope they are.”

“I have a buddy who’s a cop. Said they’re working hard on it.”

“Well, of course they are. This is the first time in years they actually have something worth working on,” he heard Kurt say. He looked up and saw his brother standing in the door opening. His boyfriend was standing behind him, looking kind of nervous.

“I thought you’d left,” Burt said as he nodded to Blaine.

“No, he’s still here,” Kurt said before Blaine had the chance to respond. “And I was hoping he could stay here?”

“Guestroom’s already occupied,” Burt mumbled.

“I see,” Kurt said as he looked at Rachel. She turned away to avoid his glance. “What if he stays in my room, then?”

Burt stared at both Kurt and Blaine. Finn was impressed Blaine hadn’t backed away yet. Burt could be really scary.

“Fine. But next time, he’s staying in the guestroom again.” Finn’s mouth nearly dropped open. He couldn’t believe Kurt was actually allowed to have a sleepover with his boyfriend in his room. In his _bed_. Oh, God, Santana had probably been telling the truth about them having sex.

“Great! Thank you, dad,” Kurt said and he grabbed Blaine’s hand as they walked towards the stairs.

“And I don’t want to hear anything!” Burt yelled after them.

“So…I take it when I get a girlfriend, she’s allowed to sleep in my room as well.”

“You’ll have to ask your mother about that,” Burt laughed. “And her answer is probably going to be ‘no’.”

_Well, damn it._


	4. Chapter four

Sam Evans had been trying to get Kurt to talk to him all week. Ever since Quinn had come home, it was like Kurt was trying to avoid him at all costs. And it wasn’t like he didn’t know why. He knew exactly why. But they needed to talk. The last time he’d actually spoken with the boy, he hadn’t gotten a word out of him. Not until Kurt had told him he had nothing left to say to him.

He spent several evenings at Finn’s house those last two weeks of summer vacation. But unlike most other nights that summer, Kurt was never there. When he’d ask Finn about Kurt’s whereabouts, Finn usually looked at him funny and wondered aloud why he’d want to know where Kurt was. Eventually he stopped asking.

He also spent several evenings at Quinn’s. They would sing together, watch a movie, make out and sometimes they’d bake or cook, which usually ended in a messy kitchen, inedible food and them having to order take-out, but it was fun. The most fun he’d ever had with Quinn. When he was with her, he didn’t ask about Kurt. But he also didn’t forget.

Summer was coming closer and closer to an end, and he, Finn and Puck decided they should spend at least one day outside in the sun. So, the last day of summer vacation, they’d packed beer, food and more beer and had loaded it in Burt’s truck, so they’d have something to drink and eat while they were chilling by the lake. It was the same lake where Jesse had been kidnapped two weeks earlier. The same lake where Sam himself had spend several of his summer nights.

Puck grabbed a couple of beers and tossed one of them to Sam and another to Finn. “Shouldn’t one of us stay sober?” Sam asked.

“No need,” Finn said. “I called Kurt. He’s coming here with Quinn and Blaine. He can drive the truck back.”

“Alright.” Sam opened the beer bottle with the lighter Finn gave him and took a big gulp. The last time he’d been around Kurt and his girlfriend had been rather tense. He preferred not to be sober for this.

“Can’t believe it’s been two weeks since Jesse’s gone missing,” he said.

“I know,” Finn said. “Rachel is just about to go crazy.”

“She’s already crazy,” Puck laughed and he ignored Finn’s angry glance in his direction.

“Do you…” Sam cleared his throat. “Do you think he’s still alive?” Puck took a sip of his beer before responding.

“Like you said, it’s been two weeks. I think it’s save to say he’s probably dead by now.”

“It’s so fucked up.”

“I know right? That’s why you should never go anywhere without a weapon.” Puck pulled a pocketknife out of his pocket just when they heard footsteps approaching.

“Put it away, Puck,” Finn mumbled as he turned to face Kurt, Quinn and Blaine. “Hi, guys. We didn’t hear you.”

“Dad dropped us of by the road,” Kurt said as he sat down next to Finn. He was wearing really short shorts and was still as pale as always. Quinn, on the other hand, was beautifully tanned. He smiled at his girlfriend and she walked towards him.

“Hi,” he greeted her. She sat down next to him and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

“Hi. What were you guys talking about?”

“Jesse.”

“Right,” Quinn sighed. “I can’t believe we still haven’t heard anything.”

“Well, I guess at this point no news is good news.” Sam didn’t want to admit it, not even to himself, but he agreed with Puck. The chances of Jesse still being alive were pretty slim. He and Jesse had never been that close, especially not after he had started dating Rachel, but before that, he had been part of their group. And the thought that someone that belonged to their clique might be dead…it was just too horrible to think about, so Sam tried not to.

“I’m going for a swim. Anyone want to join me?” Puck asked.

They swam for a while. The water had the perfect temperature to cool their overheated skin. They didn’t get out of the water until they were hungry and thirsty. Puck grabbed everyone another beer, except for Kurt, who he gave a diet coke. They passed a bag of chips around, and when that one was empty, another one. For a while they talked about the vacations they’d had away from Lima, about going back to school, and other easy things. Eventually they were talking about Jesse’s disappearance again. It seemed like all their conversations eventually boiled down to that subject.

“Summers really suck around here,” Puck said. “This is what they should be about,” he continued and lifted his fifth or sixth beer. Sam had lost count. “About…getting drunk and partying and…hot girls in tiny bikinis.” He burped loudly and got several disgusted looks thrown his way. He ignored them all. “Can’t believe it. Last year Karofsky, now Jesse…wonder who’s next…”

“Who’s Karofsky?” Blaine asked. “Is he the boy that died last year?”

“’Died’, sure. That’s one nice way of sayin’ he blew his own brains out.”

“He committed suicide?” Sam saw Kurt shift uncomfortably next to Blaine. Blaine didn’t seem to notice.

“Yeah. No one really knows why though. Well, except for maybe because of the rumors he was-”

“Puck!” Kurt snapped. “Can we please change the subject?”

“Well, go ahead and change it, princess. No one’s stopping you.” They were all quiet for a few tense seconds until Kurt spoke again.

“You know what? I think I’ll just go home.”

“Asshole,” Sam muttered. Puck gave him an offended look.

“What did I do?”

“You know what you did,” Sam said before getting up and running after Kurt.

“Kurt, wait up!” Sam yelled when he saw Kurt opening the door of his dad’s car.

“We need to talk.”

“We did talk, Sam. And as I told you, I have nothing else to say to you. You should go back to your girlfriend.”

“Kurt…”

“This is the last day of the vacation. And tomorrow, when school begins again, I want everything to be exactly the same as before, alright?”

“You know, I preferred you the way you were this past summer.” Kurt huffed.

“Of course you did. You were just happy somebody finally-”

“It wasn’t about that,” Sam said quickly. “The Kurt from this summer…he did things just for the hell of it. He laughed at my jokes. He invited me to go skinny-dipping in the middle of the night. He smoked pot with me and then ate an entire bag of chips, without caring about how many calories were in it. I had conversations with him that went beyond high school, beyond designer clothes, cheerleading and football. The Kurt from this summer cared about so much more than his reputation.” Kurt smiled at him for a second before stepping closer to Sam.

“I hate to break it to you, Sam, but…the summer’s over.”

 

 

 


	5. Chapter five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N
> 
> Hi! So...it's been like forever since I updated...and I honestly don't even know if people are reading this, but I still really want to continue. School's hard and I get sick often, so I could really use a distraction. I have the entire story in my head but I just can't seem to get it right once I start typing. So, once again, any (kind) tips are welcome. And thank you for reading.

It was the first day of the new school year and Kurt was more than ready to put the last school year behind him. It was his senior year, the last year he would be stuck in Lima. After that year he would be in New York. He had everything planned out perfectly. He would live together with Blaine in a beautiful apartment close to NYU, where they would both attend. Quinn and Sam were going to be their neighbors and they would host fabulous dinner parties every other week. These were the images he held onto. As long as he focused on the future, he wouldn’t have to worry about the present.

Just when he’d put on his cheerleading uniform and noted happily it still fit perfectly, his dad called for him to come downstairs. One look at the defeated expression on his father’s face and he knew.

“Kurt, buddy, I don’t really know how to tell you this, but-“

“You don’t have to,” Kurt said softly before wrapping his arms around him. He tucked his head under his father’s chin and shakily inhaled. Burt hugged his son back tightly.

“When?” Kurt asked when he’d let go of his dad.

“They found him this morning. He was…his body was in the lake.”

“He’s been there for the past two weeks?”

“Kurt…I…I don’t-”

“What? You don’t know or you don’t want to tell me?”

“Kurt...”

“We were swimming in that lake just yesterday,” Kurt whispered.

“I know, kiddo…Do you want to stay home? I can call you in sick if you want to.” Kurt shook his head.

“I can’t miss the first day. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

“Should I bring you to school?”

“I can drive myself, dad,” Kurt said. After giving his father one last quick hug, he grabbed his bag and walked to his Navigator. He managed to hold in his tears until he’d pulled out of the driveway.

When he arrived at school, Quinn was the first person to walk toward him.

“Kurt,” she said, but he interrupted her.

“I already know.” Kurt looked up and saw Finn hugging a crying Rachel next to his locker. “And I take it Finn knows, too.”

They both eyed the two of them for a second before Quinn said they should get to class.

Brittany got up from her seat in the classroom and walked to them when they entered the room. She hugged the both of them at once without saying anything.

“Come sit with us?” she asked once she’d let them go and pointed to where Santana was sitting. It looked like she hadn’t even noticed them walking in.

“Sure, Britt,” Quinn said. When they sat down, Santana looked up and greeted them briefly before turning towards Kurt.

“We need to talk,” she said in an unsteady voice. Kurt was about to respond to her when the intercom turned on.

“Dear students. McKinley has suffered a great lost last year, and today again. As I’m sure most of you have heard by now, the police found Jesse St. James’ body this morning. Things like this are incomprehensible. The school will hold a ceremony to mourn Jesse tomorrow afternoon.” Principal Figgins cleared his throat before continuing. “At a time like this, we need each other. And you all should know that it is okay to need help. Emma Pillsbury is available for counseling for the students that think they need it.” Kurt snorted. As if she’d be able to help anyone.

“The police came by my office earlier. If anyone has any information that may be relevant, they want you to come talk to them. They have also given out a warning. Do not go out on the streets at night, especially not alone. They do not know what happened yet, but the possibility that this was a homicide has not been ruled out. So please remember to stay save. Thank you for your attention.” It was quiet for a few seconds before the students started talking all at once. Santana, Quinn, Brittany and Kurt were the only ones not speaking. They barely spoke the entire day. After school, they headed towards the football field for Cheerio’s practice. Sue Sylvester was already screaming through her megaphone at the Cheerio’s that had arrived before them when they got there. They quickly walked towards them, but coach Sylvester yelled after them.

“Not you, Porcelain. You have an appointment with…”

“I don’t recall making an appointment,” Kurt said.

“That would be because she made it for you.” Kurt couldn’t believe miss Pillsbury wanted to have a session with him. Their previous ones had always been disastrous.

“Well, then tell her there is no need,” he said. “And that I’d rather not miss the first practice of the year.”

“Go tell her yourself. I’m not your messenger.”

He stared at coach Sylvester for a second but it seemed like she was serious. Why would she agree to Kurt skipping the first practice of the year for some pointless counseling session? It made no sense. She always thought nothing was more important than cheerleading. But Kurt knew it was always better not to question her. He’d just tell miss Pillsbury there was no need for this, and return to practice.

“Fine,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”

 

“Kurt! Good, you’re here.” Emma Pillsbury said when he opened the door to her office. She had been rearranging her desk once again before he’d gotten there and was now looking at him with wide, unblinking eyes. It was kind of unnerving.

“Yes. I don’t know why, though,” he said from the doorway.

“Why don’t you come in and sit down?”

“There’s no need. I’m not staying.” She seemed to struggle to find the right words for a few seconds. Apparently there were no pamphlets for a situation like this.  

“One of your friends just died, Kurt,” she finally said.

“Trust me, I’m well aware of that.”

“And you’re here, because I think I can help you.”

“Like you helped me last year?” This time she stayed quiet. She must have figured every answer she had to that question would be the wrong one.

“That’s what I thought. Maybe you should help Rachel instead. That girl is a walking disaster.” He left a speechless Emma alone in her office and headed back to Cheerio’s practice.

 

Kurt was exhausted after practice and when he came home he headed straight for his room. His door was open. He always closed his door when he left his room. Someone had been inside his room. It had probably been Finn, he figured as he pushed the door open further and walked in.

His books and notebooks were thrown across his floor. His sheet music and his drawings were spread across his entire room, a lot of them crumbled up. The drawers on his desk, his nightstand and his closet were all hanging open. His heart started pounding as he took in the mess. There was no way this had been Finn’s doing. He walked towards his desk, noting one piece of paper still lying on top of it. His breathing sped up as he read the words written on it in all capitals.

 

**YOU'RE NEXT**

 

He inhaled shakily before backing away. He needed to get out of there. The walls were closing in on him. Someone had broken into his house, into _his room_. Someone had left him that message. He ran out of his room, slamming the door behind him, the piece of paper clutched in his hand.

_You’re next._

He ran downstairs, he was panting by the time he got to the living room where his dad was watching an episode of Deadliest Catch.

“Hey, buddy, what’s wrong?” his dad asked when he noticed Kurt.

_You’re next._

“You’re really pale. Are you alright?”

“Dad…” Kurt said.

_You’re next._

“Someone broke into my room.”

“What?” Burt yelled and he got up. He nearly ran up the stairs and Kurt followed him quickly.

“Are any of your things missing?” Burt asked as he took in the books and pieces of paper that were scattered across the floor. Kurt shook his head. “No, I think everything is still here…except…”

“Except what?”

“I…I found this.” Kurt handed him the piece of paper. Burt read the words, his face turning red.

“I’m calling the cobs. Right now. You go to Finn’s room. Stay with him, alright?” Kurt nodded shakily before he turned around to walk towards Finn’s room.

Someone had killed Jesse and dumped his body in the lake. And now they were after him. And he was almost certain he knew why.


	6. Chapter six

Quinn Fabray had been staring at her dinner plate for nearly 15 minutes. She hadn’t been able to take more than a few bites. She could feel her parents’ eyes on her, but they didn’t address her. Instead, they talked about how their days had been, avoiding the subject they really needed to talk about. They hadn’t said a word to her about Jesse since they’d broken the news to her that morning.

“May I be excused?” she asked when she felt like she couldn’t take her parents’ stares anymore.

“You know the rules, Quinn,” her father Russell said. “No one leaves until we’re all done eating.”

“Can’t today be an exception?” she asked, starting to feel irritated. “I mean, I did just lose a friend.” Her mother cleared her throat.

“Maybe we should let her-”

“No, Judy,” Russell interrupted her. “If we start making exceptions, we might just as well give up on having rules altogether. Besides, Quinn, you’ve barely eaten. Don’t you appreciate your mother’s cooking?”

“Of course I do. I just don’t have much of an appetite because I keep thinking about swimming in a lake in which the dead body of my friend might have been at that time,” she said, her voice gradually getting louder. Judy opened her mouth to respond, but her dad spoke before she could.

“Don’t raise your voice at me, Quinn,” he said before he picked up his cutlery and continued eating. And, as always, her mother followed suit. Her father had spoken and that was the end of it. Quinn was tired of everyone being afraid to stand up to him.

“You know what, dad?” she said and Russell stopped eating and looked at her with a strict look in his eyes. But she wasn’t going to let him intimidate her any longer. “Fuck your rules.” Her mother gasped and Russell dropped his cutlery.

“Young lady, you apologize right now and then go to your room!”

“Actually, dad. I think I’ll go over to Kurt’s. And, if anyone needs to apologize, it’s you. Right, dad? Or have you forgotten about last summer?” She stared her father in the eye for a few seconds.

“You’re excused,” Russell said.

“Russell,” her mother started.

“Just drop it, Judy,” he interrupted and turned back to Quinn. “I’ll drive you.”

“I can drive myself.”

“You heard what the police said. You shouldn’t go anywhere by yourself. I’ll drop you of at your friend’s house and you’ll call me when you want me to pick you up again.”

“Alright. I’ll go grab my coat.”

Once she and her father were in the car he turned towards her.

“I don’t want you bringing that up again around your mother,” he said and he started the engine. “I thought we had an agreement, Quinn.”

“Well, maybe I want to change the terms,” she said as they pulled out of the driveway. Her father sighed.

“I stopped seeing her, like I promised you. I took you, your mom and your sister to Europe for the entire summer, gave you enough money to buy all those clothes…what more could you want?”

“You mean, besides a normal family?” she asked. “You were supposed to take a left there.” Her father cursed under his breath and looked for a spot to turn the car around.

“And what, exactly, is a normal family in your eyes?” he asked her once they were going in the right direction again.

“You figure it out,” she said and turned to look out the window. Neither one of them said a word until they had arrived at Kurt’s house.

“Call me when you want to go home, alright?”

“I will,” she said before getting out of the car and slamming the door without telling her father goodbye. When she walked into Kurt’s house, she just caught Finn walking upstairs with three bags of chips in his hands.

“Hi, Finn. Kurt’s in his room?” she asked as after she’d climbed the stairs.

“Hey. Yeah,” he said before shoving a handful of chips up his mouth. She walked past him to Kurt’s room and opened the door. “But you should probably-”

“Kurt?” she asked when she noticed the lights were off. Maybe Kurt was asleep.

“Oh my God,” she heard Kurt mumble. “Just…give us a minute.” She quickly stepped back and closed the door again.

“-knock first,” Finn finished. Quinn rolled her eyes.

“You couldn’t have said that _before_ I opened the door?” Finn shrugged before shoving his hand back in one of the bags of chips.

“You want some?”

“Can’t you just go to your room?”

“Your loss,” Finn mumbled and he walked down the hall to his bedroom. Quinn turned back towards Kurt’s bedroom door and knocked.

“You two decent now?” she asked.

“Yes, you can come in.”

“Sorry, I should have knocked the first time. I just didn’t know you had Blaine over,” she said after entering Kurt’s bedroom. She closed the door behind her and sat down on the small black sofa pushed against one of the walls in the room. Kurt gave her a small nod. He was dressed in sweats and a plain black t-shirt. His hair was a mess and he looked like he’d been crying all day.

“I figured Kurt needed me at a time like this,” Blaine said as he rubbed Kurt’s shoulder.

“Right.” She turned toward her best friend. “Kurt, I really need to talk to you.”

“Okay, uh, Blaine?”

“It’s fine,” Blaine said. “I’ll just go hang with Finn for a bit.” He leaned back in to kiss Kurt softly and whispered something to him.

“God, it smells like sex in here,” she said after Blaine had closed the door behind him.

“Sorry about that,” Kurt said and he opened his windows. “What is it we need to talk about?”

“I’m thinking about telling mom about dad’s affair.” Kurt sat down on his bed and stared at her for a few seconds with a raised eyebrow. “What?”

“Quinn, you tell me you want to tell her about once a month.” Besides her, her father and her father’s…mistress, Kurt was the only one that knew about the affair. In fact, he was the one that found out about it. Last summer he had spent the night at a motel in Westerville and when he was there, he saw Russell Fabray going into one of the rooms at that motel with another woman. He hadn’t gotten a close enough look to see if he knew her, but one thing he had been able to tell was that it hadn’t been Judy Fabray.

“I know, but this time…I really think I should do it. I’m so done with all the lying.”

“Withholding the truth doesn’t make you a liar, Quinn.”

“I know, but…I still feel like I should tell her.”

“Some things are better left unsaid.”

“Can you stop being so vague? I’m struggling, here.”

“Well, so am I!” She was startled by the sudden forcefulness in his voice. She didn’t think she’d ever heard Kurt yell before.

“Okay, why are you yelling at me?”

“I’m sorry, Quinn. I know things in your family are tough, but I just…can’t deal with that. Not today.”

“Right. How are you dealing with all this?”

“What do you think?” he snapped again.

“Would you stop being a bitch already?” Quinn was starting to get irritated. Maybe she shouldn’t have come here. “You’d think sex would relax you…”

“Well, it did. For about fifteen seconds and then you walked in.” Kurt sighed when he saw the way Quinn was looking at him. “It’s been a rough day. I think I’m allowed to be a little snappy. Jesse was my friend, Q, and…and now’s he’s just _gone_.” Kurt inhaled shakily. “And don’t try to tell me he’s ‘watching us from above’ or something because you know I don’t believe in that stuff.”

“I wasn’t going to say that,” Quinn whispered and she quickly got up from the sofa and sat down next to him on the bed, trying really hard not to think about what had just happened in said bed. She rubbed Kurt’s back as he continued talking.

“I’ve had this…feeling in my stomach ever since he went missing that something was horribly wrong. But still I had hope, you know? Hope that against all odds one day he’d just…turn up again and be completely fine. And then this morning…” Kurt sniffed and rested his head on Quinn’s shoulder. “He’s really gone. And I’m just…so sad and angry, too. I’m angry with whoever it is that did this to him. I’m angry with Jesse for getting himself killed, even though logically I know it wasn’t his fault. And I’m also really mad at Jacob Ben Israel.” Quinn raised an eyebrow.

“Why are you mad at Jacob Ben Israel?” Kurt lifted his head from Quinn’s shoulder to look her in the eye.

“Haven’t you seen his blog?”

“Why would I look at that nerd’s blog? What’s on there?”

“He made a poll...so people can vote for who they think killed Jesse.”

“That’s sick,” Quinn whispered. “He’s sick.”

“I know,” Kurt said. “But I still can’t believe how he could do something like that.”

“Don’t think about it, okay? All Jacob wants is attention, it doesn’t matter to him how he gets it. Besides, we’ll get back at him.”

“Good,” Kurt said. “Can you spend the night? Blaine has to go back to Dalton soon and I really don’t want to be alone.”

“Sure,” Quinn said right away. Her friend clearly needed her and hopefully it would also piss off her dad, which was always a nice bonus. “But you have got to change the sheets first.”

“Right. I’ll go get some clean ones,” Kurt said and he left the room. Quinn couldn’t shake the feeling he was hiding something from her and she couldn’t understand why he’d do that. Ever since they had become best friends they’d been able to tell each other everything. She trusted Kurt with all her secrets and it kind of stung he apparently didn’t feel the same way. Hopefully he just needed some time and then he’d tell her what was going on with him. And, if not, the truth always comes out in the end. Especially in their town.


End file.
